The ultrasound transducer at the tip of a gastrocope enables cardiologists to avoid open-heart surgery. For over 25 years, Hittech Multin has been the preferred supplier for Oldelft Ultrasound, a market leader in transducer technology.
Rob Smallenburg, director of Oldelft Ultrasound in Delft (NL), explains his choice of Hittech Multin as a preferred supplier for assembling the steering boxes for their ultrasound transducers.
Rob Smallenburg: “I have been with Oldelft and the ultrasound industry for more than 35 years, and we have expanded our technology to image procedures in the heart where a device is inserted in a vein via the groin. Before doing so, a cardiologist examines the heart and valves using an ultrasound transducer inserted through the oesophagus. At the tip of our gastroscope is an ultrasound transducer, and a high-tech steering box controls its movement. Hittech Multin assembles that steering box for us, so you can understand how essential that component is to us.”
What is your vision on outsourcing and assembly partners?
Rob Smallenburg: “Finding a solid assembly partner to trust with complicated medical technology is not an easy task. First, an ISO 13485 certification is essential, and we need a supplier with a particular understanding of engineering. The steering house is our own design, but we no longer prefer to assemble it ourselves. The teams at Hittech have extensive experience with high-quality assembly, and I see Hittech Multin as a flexible framework around us, which has proved to work very well.”
Rob continues: “By outsourcing certain parts of the process, we can focus more on achieving our strategic goals. It also makes it easier to scale production, both up and down. This kind of knowledge and flexibility in a partner is essential to us. It’s also great that Hittech Multin delivers turnkey assembly, including the procurement of parts. That takes a massive weight off our shoulders. The size of the international Hittech Group also benefits us with suppliers in countries like Malaysia that we wouldn’t be able to find ourselves.”
Oldelft was founded in 1939 as a company specialising in optics. In the 1980s, the company began developing ultrasound probes. Oldelft Ultrasound was the first company to deliver a TEE (transesophageal echocardiography) solution and is now the supplier to all major ultrasound companies.
Photo: Maastricht UMC+ Hart+Vaat Centrum (HVC)
